1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sintered metal having a hard substance phase comprised of tungsten carbide and a binder metal phase comprised of nickel and chromium which is produced by pressing and sintering particulate raw materials, and to a method for manufacturing same.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Sintered metals composed of tungsten carbide and binder alloys are known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,215,510 discloses a sintered metal composed of from 10 to 30 weight % of a chromium-nickel-binder alloy and the remainder tungsten carbide, with the weight ratio of chromium to binder alloy lying between 0.015 and 0.15. This sintered metal is manufactured by pressing powdered raw materials into a pressed body which is then subjected to sintering. A publication by Kieffer and Benesovsky entitled Hartmetalle, Springer-Verlag, Vienna/New York, 1965, at pages 220, 221 and 228, also discloses a sintered metal composed of 90 weight % tungsten carbide, 8 weight % nickel and 2 weight % chromium. Although these known sintered metals have good corrosion resistance, their strength and toughness are poor, and, in particular, their bending strength is very poor so that their usefulness is greatly limited.